PUBLIC HEARING: Northern Gateway pipeline panel coming to Vancouver

The federal panel reviewing the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal will be in Vancouver later this month to hear final oral arguments for and against the $6 billion project.

The proposal is in the final stage of hearings with the Joint Review Panel of the National Energy Board and Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

Enbridge wants to build a twin 1,170-kilometre pipeline from the Alberta oilsands to Kitimat, with diluted bitumen flowing from Alberta to Kitimat, and condensate (used to dilute the oil) in the other direction.

The panel will be in Victoria January 4 to 11 and Vancouver January 14 to 18, and January 30 to February 1 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.

The meetings are for the general public, but speakers had to register in October 2011. Roughly 700 people are registered to speak at meetings in Victoria, Vancouver and Kelowna.

Members of the general public who will not be addressing the panel but who want to attend must go to a special public viewing area, where the proceedings are broadcast live. Public viewing venues are at the following locations and times:

January 14 to 18, the Westin Bayshore, 1601 Bayshore Drive, Vancouver; and

Once the panel has heard from the general public, it will resume the questioning phase of the final hearings in Prince Rupert. The questioning phase continues until mid-May. Final arguments take place from mid-May to the end of June 2013.

Dave Semeniuk spends hours locked up in his office, thinking about the role the oceans play in controlling global climate, and unique ways of studying it. He'd also like to shamelessly plug his art practice: davidsemeniuk.com